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Appearances get people killed in Iraq

Several Iraqis have been killed or received death threats recently because they are gay, "look gay" or in some way don't meet extremists' religious mandates.
Karar_Nushi.jpg

BAGHDAD — The recent and widely publicized murder of Iraqi model and actor Karar Nushi is only one of the horrific crimes frequently witnessed in Iraqi society as religious extremists call for exterminating whatever they find offensive.

Ahmad al-Iraqi, one of Nushi’s close friends, told Al-Monitor he believes Nushi was killed July 3 over his appearance. Iraqi blames the “extremist religious militias and groups and their inflammatory speeches through religious platforms.” Nushi was a student at the Institute of Fine Art in central Baghdad and participated in several plays in the city. He was known for his long, blond hair and fashionable, often tight clothing.

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